Container



March 19, 1940.. E. F. GANTER CONTAINER Filed oct. 17, 193B @mf-W ATTO RN EYS Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-lcs 4 Claims.

`This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a dispensing container for domestic, household or individual use in the dispensing of measured quantities of commodities such as 5 coffee and the like which deteriorate upon exposure to the atmosphere.

The invention has for its prime objectA to pro duce a simple yet practical and eicient dispensing container which is normally sealed to protect the contents thereof against deterioration and from which a measured quantity of the contents may be withdrawn, at will, for immediate use.

A particular object is to provide in a device of this character a special revolvable measuring cup which normally seals' the discharge outlet of the container and is operable by the manipulation of a drawer or the like whereby to transfer a measured quantity of the contents to the drawer.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to' be attained, the inventionv consists in the general structural. assembly, and in the particular parts, combinations and arrangements of lparts as hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, reference being'had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical adaptation. of the invention and in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through the device;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section on line 2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on or about thev line 3--3 of Figure 1 and showing the drawer element of the device moved to its innermost position to effect the discharging actuation of the measuring cup.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral Hl designates the hopperbottom portion of a con-l tainer for dispensing coffee either in the whole bean or ground condition, or forcereals or other commodities of a similar character. Obviously the upper portion ofv the container (not shown) may be of any desirable form. Preferably, as a coffee container, the body portion is generally cylindrical and provided with a filling opening at its top having an air-tight removable closure. The tapered hopper bottom portion III, therefore,

is substantially funnel shaped, as shown, andV merges into a hollow spherical shell II with a circular opening I2 therebetween.

The spherical shell portion II is connected by pecl; i3 to the rectangular lower casing I4 which constitutes a supporting base for the device and is preferably mounted on corner lugs or supporting feet I5.

The communicating opening l5 through` the (Cl. Z21-106) connecting neck. I3 between the spherical shell portion II and rectangular base I4 is normally closed by a spherical cup member Il which is fitted circumferentially to the corresponding inner face of the spherical casing portion I I and having '5 an opening I8 of substantially the same diameter as the opening I2 between the hopper bottom portion I and said spherical shell portion II, and normally registering with said opening I2.

The spherical cup member Il is provided with 1"() diametrically opposite trunnions I9 which are extended through bearings provided therefor in the adjacent portions of the spherical shell II and having gears 29 fixed on their outer ends,

said trunnions, as shown, being provided b'y'1`5v headed studs having squared portions 2 Iv tted in counterpart openings provided thereforin the cup memberso that the studs are forced to rotate with the cup member. Meshing with the gears 20 are toothed sectors 2l which are formed on the upper v ends of rocking levers 22, said levers working through slots 23 provided `in the top of the rectangular base portion I4 of the device, and being pivotally mounted, as at 24, on the inner face of the adjacent wall portions below said slots 23. 25

The lower ends of said rocking levers 22 are pivotally attached, as at 25, to the ends of the parallely leg. members 2li extending forwardly from the cross bar 2T of an operating yoke which is provided at its opposite ends with upstanding 30 lugs 28, said lugs being connected by spring elements 29 to studs 30 projecting inwardly from the sidewalls of the rectangular base portion of the device. Normally, thespring elements 29 are retracted and the yoke comprising the cross bar 35 2l and the leg portionsv 26. is thereby yieldably held in a forward position withthe rocking levers 22 positioned so that their upper portions, just above the pivots 24, are in contact with the rear ends ofthe slots 23, inwhich position the spherical cup member I'I is in its normal position with its opening H3y in registration with the opening I2 at the bottom of the hopper bottom of the device Ill. Slidable in the rectangular base portion I4 is a drawer element 3|', said drawer element, in its normal closed position, having its front end wall 32' flush with the front end of the base portion I4 and its rear wall 33 being close to the cross bar 2l of the operating yoke for the rocking levers 22, 5U in which position of thedrawer element its rear wall itis also slightly rearward of the opening IB through which communication is established between the spherical shell portion II and said rectangular base portion. I4. y 55 To operate the spherical cup member I'l and extract a measured quantity of the contents from the container, the drawer element 3I is moved inwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 3, thereby moving the cross bar 2l and its integral leg extensions 26 rearwardly therewith, stretching the spring elements 29 and rocking the lever members 22 on their pivots 24 and accordingly swinging the sectors 2I forwardly and thereby rotating the gears 29 and, of course, the cup member I1, the ratio of the gearing being such that when the drawer element SI has reached the limit of its inward movement the opening I8 of the cup member I'i is brought into registration with the opening I and the contents of the cup are discharged into the drawer element. In this discharge postion of the cup member I`I the opening' I2 of the bottom of the hopper I is closed, and in his connection it is noted that at all times, whether the cup member I'I is in its receiving relation to the hopper I0 or in the discharging relation to the drawer element 3l, the container is sealed against the deteriorating effect of the outside air, not only because of the relative proportions or the surface area of the cup member i? and the openings I2 and I6 of the device, but by reason of instant restoration oi the cup member I to normal receiving position with relation to the opening I2 in the hopper bottom lil `which occurs by the reaction of the spring elements 29 of the operating yoke and rocking levers 22 immediately during the returning movement ci the drawer element 3l to its normal forward position in the base portion Il of the device.

As hereinbeiore described the rear end portions of the slots 23 afford stops to arrest movement of the rocking levers 22 to prevent over-travel of the cup member I'I in rotation back to its normal receiving position with relation to the hopper IG. To limit the movement of the cup member I'I in its rotation to discharge position with relation to the drawer element 3l the stud members Sil to which the spring elements 29 are attached aiford stops for the lower end portions of the rocking levers 22, by which provision also an eiective stop is provided for the drawer element 3l at the limit of its inward movement from normal position to actuate the cup member. To guide the yoke members 26 in both their rearward and forward movements in the actuation of the cup member I'I studs 34 are provided on the side walls of the rectangular base portion Ifl so as to overhang said yoke portions 2G and prevent undue upward swing thereof under the pull of the spring elements 29.

ln order to guide the drawer element 3| in its reciprocatory movement within the base portion I4 of the device and to space its side walls from the side walls of said base portion I4 to afford ample clearance for the rocking levers 22 and several cooperative actuating elements, cleats 35 are provided on the bottom of the base portion ifi so as to extend longitudinally thereof adjacent the respective side walls and crosswise thereof adjacent the end wall. The drawer element rides on the bottom of the base portion I4 and between the longitudinal side cleats 35.

From the foregoing it is seen that a dispensing container is produced which is specially advantageous in holding coiee and other commodities which are very susceptible to deterioration upon exposure to atmospheric conditions, it being only necessary to first move the drawer element 3l inwardly a slight distance from normal position to eiect the dumping of the spherical cup member I1 which latter is quickly restored to normal receiving position with relation to the hopper bottom I0 when the drawer element 3| is returned to its normal position, which return movement of the drawer element is effected automatically by the reaction of the spring elements 29 on the cross bar 21 of the operating yoke, which latter presses against the inner end of the drawer element evenv should the operator neglect to restore the drawer element to normal position manually. Furthermore, there is a material ad` vantage in the device of the present invention in that after the drawer element 3l is withdrawn and the contents dumped therefrom no more of the contents of the container enters the drawer element until the latter is again actuated as hereinabove described.

What is claimed is:

l. In a dispensing container, a base portion having a drawer element therein, the drawer element being normally positioned forwardly in the base portion but movable inwardly from such normal position within the base portion, a hopper above said base portion, said hopper and base portion being connected by a spherical shell, the upper portion of the shell communicating with the hopper through a discharge opening from the hopper and the lower portion of the shell having a discharge opening in communication with the base portion, a spherical cup member `rounted rotatably in said spherical shell with sealing effect, operating means for said spherical cup having provision for holding the cup normally in position with its opening in receiving relation to the discharge openinfT of the hopper, said operating means for the cup having provision whereby an initial inward movement of the drawer element from normal position in the base portion of the device effects the rotation of the spherical cup to bring the opening of the cup into delivery relation to the discharge opening between the spherical shell and base portion of the device, said cup member sealing the discharge opening Vfrom the hopper during movement to, and while in, delivering position, and being automatically restored to normal position and in sealing relation to the discharge opening between the spherical shell and the base portion when the drawer element is returned to its normal position in said base portion.

2. A dispensing container of the character described, comprising an upper container body having a hopper bottom and base portion provided with a removable drawer element, the drawer element being normally positioned forwardly in the base portion but movable inwardly from such normal position within the base portion, a rounded connecting casing between said upper container body and base portion, said connecting casing being open at its top for communication with the upper container body through the opening of the hopper bottom of said body and being open at its bottom for communication with the interior of said base portion through a transfer opening provided in said base portion above the drawer element therein, a rotatable cup correspondingly rounded and fitted in said connecting casing with constant sealing eiect between said upper container body and said base portion but in normal receiving relation to the opening of the hopper bottom of said upper container body, operating means for rotating said cup and having provision for holding the cup yieldablyin its normal receiving position,

the drawer, when moved inwardly from its normal position within the base portion, engaging and actuatingsaid cup operating means and eiecting the rotation of the cup from its normal receiving position to a discharge position with relation to the transfer opening of said base portion. f

3. In a dispensing container, a rectangular base portion having a removable drawer element therein, a spherical shell above said portion hav.- ing a discharge opening in communication with saidbase portion above the drawer therein, an upper container body having a funnel shaped hopper bottom communicating .with the upper portionof saidspherical shell,4 a spherical cup fitted rotatably in said spherical shell with an air sealing effect, said cup being mounted on trunnions extending through diametrically opposed bearing openings at the opposite sides of said spherical shell, gears fixed on the outer ends of said trunnions, rocking levers mounted on said base portion and having toothed sectors at their uppery ends engaging said gears,v the lower ends of said rocking levers extending into said base portion near the opposite sides thereof, a yoke member comprising a cross bar and parallel forwardly extending leg portions which are pivotally attached at their ends to said rocking levers, lspring elements moving said yoke forward and actuating said connected rocking levers to rotate said sphericalcup to normal receiving position in relation to the discharge opening of the funnel shaped hopper and for yieldingly holding the cup in such position, the inner endr of the drawer in said base portion terminating forwardly of but close to said cross barl oi said yoke in the normal position ofthe drawer, the

drawer being movable inwardly from this normal l position in the base portion to engage and move said yoke cross bar rearwardly .and effectl the rotation of the cup from its normal receiving position with relation to the funnel shaped hopper to a position in discharging relation to the b-ase portion of the device above the drawer element.

4. A dispensing container comprising an upper container body having a funnel shaped hopper bottom merging communicably into a spherical connecting shell, said shell merging at its bottom communicably with the upper portion of a rectangular hollow base portion, a removable drawer element in said base portion, the front end of said drawer being normally flush with the corresponding end of said base portion and the rearof said drawer element' terminating short of the rear wall of the said base element, said drawer being movable to a' position inwardly from its normal position, and in any position between normal and the limit of inward movement, said drawer underlying a discharge opening of said spherical connecting shell, a spherical cup fitted rotatably in said spherical connecting shell with air sealing eiect, said cup being mounted on trunnionsv extended through diametrically opposed bearings in said shell, gears on the outer ends of said trunnions, lever members pivoted on said base portion of the device and having gear sectors engaging said ears on the cup trunnions, spring actuated operating means connected to said levers for effecting rotation of said spherical cup to normal receiving position with relation to the discharge opening of said hopper land for yieldingly holding the cup in such position, said operating means for the lever members being engaged and actuated by the inner end portion of said drawer element when the latter is moved inwardly from its normal position in the base portion of the device whereby to rotate the spherical cup into discharge-relation to the communicating opening between said spherical connecting shell and said base portion of the device.

EDWARD F. GANTER. 

